Margot Robbie has confirmed that the R-rated Birds of Prey movie will begin filming early next year - and that it will have a much smaller budget than your typical DC superhero film. Previously, it was reported Birds of Prey will start filming in January 2019.

Suicide Squad was something of an unusual film. It was both a critical failure and a box office success. Although its critic score on review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes sits at only 27 percent, Suicide Squad grossed an impressive $746.8 million at the global box office. It accomplished this without a Chinese release. The star of the show was undoubtedly Robbie’s superb Harley Quinn, a character who absolutely delighted viewers with her whimsical, irreverent nature. Warner Bros. has been carefully considering where next to use the character, with options including both Birds of Prey and a Joker/Harley Quinn movie.

Speaking to Flickering Myth while promoting the home release of her latest movie, Terminal, Robbie confirmed recent reports that Birds of Prey will begin filming in January next year. She stressed that the project will be “different” to other DC titles featuring Harley Quinn, and that it will have a “much smaller budget.” Given Robbie had already indicated this film will have an R-rating, that means viewers are starting to get a sense of the kind of film Warner Bros. is hoping to make.

It looks as though Warner Bros. is learning a lesson from the success of Fox’s X-Men slate. Rather than simply developing a series of tentpole superhero movies, the studio is aiming to diversify its product. That includes low-budget, R-rated films that don’t need to make as much at the box office in order to recoup their costs. The key with this kind of approach - which drives the success of fan-favorites like Logan and Deadpool - is that the studio has to hire a director with a clear vision for the film. In the case of Logan, James Mangold produced a brutal and bloody Western of a superhero drama, while Deadpool rejoices in its out-there humor. Warner Bros. has hired Cathy Yan, a Chinese and American screenwriter, director, and producer. She’s best known for her dark comedy Dead Pigs, shot in Shanghai with a bilingual crew. The film was a tremendous success, winning a Special Jury Award for ensemble acting at the Sundance Film Festival.

Appropriately enough, characters like Harley Quinn, Batgirl, and Huntress - traditionally associated with the Birds of Prey in the comics - are perfect for this kind of low-budget, atmospheric R-rated offering. Many superhero films are expensive because of power effects, but most of these characters lack super-powers. It’s currently unknown which heroes will actually appear in the film - there are rumors pointing to the likes of Huntress and Black Canary. It seems likely Warner Bros. will reveal more at this year’s SDCC panel.

More: Predicting the DCEU’s Legion of Doom Plans

Source: Flickering Myth

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